Philippines’ Pacquiao says Mayweather fight ‘not an exhibition’

Netflix last month announced a long-awaited rematch of the highest-grossing clash in boxing history, with Pacquiao and Mayweather — now both in their late forties — set to clash at the Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19.

But Mayweather this week stunned the boxing world by suggesting the rivals, whose 2015 bout drove 4.6 million pay-per-view buys, would only be entering the squared circle for show this time around.

“It’s an exhibition, so we’re both winners,” Mayweather said in an interview with Vegas Sports Today. “We just want to go out there and entertain the people and put on a good show.”

On Friday, Pacquiao begged to differ.

“I want to be very clear that the contract we signed is for a professional boxing match. This is not an exhibition; it is a real fight,” he said in a statement sent to AFP.

“I wish to clear up any misinformation regarding my upcoming bout against Floyd Mayweather. From the beginning, my intention has been to give the fans what they truly want to see. A high-level, competitive sanctioned fight,” he said.

He added that Netflix’s February announcement of the rematch had “reflected the exact terms of our agreement” and that his team expected the “original terms of the agreement to be honored”.

On Wednesday, Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, blasted Mayweather’s comments in an interview with ESPN, insisting the fight would take place.

“Floyd Mayweather is officially in breach of his contract,” he told the US-based sports outlet.